


we are Eden's Tempest

by mmmonster_doughnutt



Category: Supernatural
Genre: AU, Abusive Parents, Child Abuse, Comfort, Demon visits, F/M, Fluff, Groupies, I should be sleeping, M/M, Music, Nightmares, PTSD (a little bit), Protective Balthazar, Protective Dean, Protective Sam, Rape, Sass, Sea, Therapy Writing, Violence, beach, everybody's protective, family night, garth is married and has a kid, i shocked myself, lasertag, lots of songs, maybe smut coming dunno yet, no smut (yet), not quite AU, outsmarting dean, protective gabe, sea calms minds, yucky smudge
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-11
Updated: 2017-08-20
Packaged: 2018-05-19 15:26:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 15
Words: 15,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5971884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mmmonster_doughnutt/pseuds/mmmonster_doughnutt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>the reader is the sister of a band's lead singer and ended up in the band as well. while they are working todraw the attention of a label company, the bands gets in a lot of trouble with memories from their past. but they fight back together and keep each other sane. while they are growing popular, they get into a lot of trouble and mental issues (both supernatural and non-supernatural).</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. a slight amount of history (But not too much)

**Author's Note:**

> this is just an intro. i will post the next 2 chapters as well
> 
> i gave the reader the name Rachel so it would be easier for me to write. so just imagine that you guys are Rachel

She entered the music life when she was still very young. She was 10 years old and her brother was 14. Their parents both got into rehab and her brother Cas is very doubtful for them ever getting out of the place. He took care of her ever since she was 10, started singing to earn some money and eventually, she ended up in her brothers band. She is a bassist, but has some mean drumming skills as well and has a lovely singing voice. It could be raw and wild, as well as soft and girly. Sometimes, she would be the lead singer instead of Cas, who was the lead singer. Dean, one of Cas’ best friends, played the guitar, electric and acoustic, and did some background singing. Sam, Deans’ brother, was the one who could play some more instruments like a keyboard or percussion other than the drums. Those were for Gabriel. He was like that muppet, Animal, when he was drumming. It’s also his official nickname. They also work together with Balthazar, who controls the lights and Chuck, who is responsible for sound and technology. The last person from the group is Cole. He takes care of managing us and keeping us in check. He also does some advertising. Together they form Eden's Tempest, their band.


	2. preparing for a good night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ‘Rachel, wake up, we have a concert in about two hours’ Cas yelled.   
> Fuck, was it already 5pm? Time goes fast. I have the feeling I just dove in my bed after a crazy good night on our previous one. I stumbled out of my bed and bound my hair together in a wild bun. Only wearing my AC/DC shirt and panties, I went downstairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song list:  
> \- Survivor’s guilt Rise Against  
> \- Born to be wild Steppenwolf  
> \- Carry on wayward son Kansas  
> \- Somewhere I belong Linkin Park  
> \- I love Rock ‘n Roll Joan Jett  
> \- TNT AC/DC  
> \- Holiday Greenday  
> \- Boulevard of broken dreams Greenday  
> \- My life my way Janez deth  
> \- Dance, dance Fall out boy  
> \- Thunderstruck AC/DC  
> \- The pretender Foo Fighters  
> \- I don’t want to be here anymore Rise against  
> \- The scientist Coldplay  
> \- Under the bridge RHCP  
> \- Here’s to us Halestorm  
> \- What I’ve done Linkin park  
> \- Paradise city Guns ‘n Roses  
> \- Young volcanoes Fall Out Boy  
> \- Hero of war Rise against

Chapter 1

Reader’s POV (Rachel)

‘Rachel, wake up, we have a concert in about two hours’ Cas yelled.   
Fuck, was it already 5pm? Time goes fast. I have the feeling I just dove in my bed after a crazy good night on our previous one. I stumbled out of my bed and bound my hair together in a wild bun. Only wearing my AC/DC shirt and panties, I went downstairs. It wasn’t a shock for the boys. They’d seen me like this loads of times. I mumbled “good morning” as I emptied the coffee can. The boys playfully whistled a couple of times, but I know it was only for teasing. I noticed I was really hungry and I stole Dean’s doughnut.  
‘Hey, that’s my food!’ he complained while I took a bite.   
‘Not anymore, D’ I sniggered.  
All I could do was smile. Yeah sure, there always were some jitters when he talked to me, but my stomach won this time. I finished the rest of the doughnut before he could catch me and ran upstairs to get myself dressed and my make-up done. I decided to wear a skinny dark blue jeans with a black tank top and a sleeveless, tight jeans vest. My hair stayed in the bun but I went for the smoky make-up today. I saw myself going from a 16 year old to a 20 year old, while I was actually 24. When I got down again, there was a slight jam session going on. Yay, Sam had finally arrived, which meant we could go to our concert hall for tonight.  
‘Everybody ready? Everybody has their instruments?’ Cas yelled one last time before we all stepped in our vehicles and drove off. I didn’t join the boys in their cars. I enjoyed riding my motorbike too much.   
When we arrived in the bar we would show our skills, we immediately checked our dressing rooms. We had 2, but only used one. I just changed with the boys. I wasn’t prude or something and they didn’t mind.  
‘So, which songs are we gonna play?’ Sam asked. I immediately reacted. It had been ages we’d sang some songs of rise against and this was my shot. We decided to start with survivor’s guilt. After that, we just pulled papers out of a hat to make our list. This night was gonna be a blast. 

Song list:  
\- Survivor’s guilt Rise Against  
\- Born to be wild Steppenwolf  
\- Carry on wayward son Kansas  
\- Somewhere I belong Linkin Park  
\- I love Rock ‘n Roll Joan Jett  
\- TNT AC/DC  
\- Holiday Greenday  
\- Boulevard of broken dreams Greenday  
\- My life my way Janez deth  
\- Dance, dance Fall out boy  
\- Thunderstruck AC/DC  
\- The pretender Foo Fighters  
\- I don’t want to be here anymore Rise against  
\- The scientist Coldplay  
\- Under the bridge RHCP  
\- Here’s to us Halestorm  
\- What I’ve done Linkin park  
\- Paradise city Guns ‘n Roses  
\- Young volcanoes Fall Out Boy  
\- Hero of war Rise against

It was an impressive list. And we didn’t know if we could sing them all, but the crowd was gonna be happy. 30 minutes before we had to take the stage, we did our sound checks and our last preparations. It was all going well until Cas started to throw up. Just as I had done my hair and corrected my make-up, he ran to the toilets. The panic started to grow, because he is our lead singer.  
‘I’m sorry guys, but I feel awful. Rachel, you’re lead singer tonight.’ The others of the group immediately agreed, but I wasn’t sure.   
‘But, what if I screw up? Then we’re all fucked. I don’t …’ I was interrupted by the others.  
‘You’ll do fine’ Sam said.  
‘C’mon girl, you know we got your back in this’ Gabe added.  
‘Stop being so doubtful about yourself, Rachel, you got this.’ Even Dean was surer about me than I was about myself. And although it didn’t put me at ease, it gave me more confidence.   
‘Okay then, let’s do this!’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i kow it starts a bit slow, but it's getting there


	3. the evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The stage was completely dark when we entered it. We sought our positions quickly and without making too much noise. Because the light only went on when I started singing, the crowd was a little bit surprised when the music started. I took a deep breath, looked to the side of the stage one last time and started singing.

Chapter 2

Reader’s POV (Rachel)

The stage was completely dark when we entered it. We sought our positions quickly and without making too much noise. Because the light only went on when I started singing, the crowd was a little bit surprised when the music started. I took a deep breath, looked to the side of the stage one last time and started singing.

Block the entrances, close the doors.  
Seal the exits cause this is war.  
All gave some, some gave all  
But for what, I want to know.

The crowd was already losing it and we only just started. I could see them singing along and moving on the rhythm of the song. It immediately gave me my confidence back. I started to move along as well, looking over at Dean and Sam. Gabe was hiding behind his drumming. When the chorus began, I already had everyone dancing and singing.

Carry on, don’t mind me.  
All I gave was everything  
And yet you ask me for more.  
Fought your fight, bought your lie  
And in return I lost my life.  
What purpose does this serve?

I put the mic back in its holder and played my guitar while Dean took his solo. I knew my voice wasn’t ideal for this song, but I could clearly make it work. The crowd was very enthusiast and craved for more.

A folded flag, a broken heart,  
A family all but torn apart  
And I fought with courage to preserve   
Not my way of life but yours.

Carry on, don’t mind me.  
All I gave was everything  
And yet you ask me for more.  
Fought your fight, bought your lie  
And in return I lost my life.  
What purpose does this serve?

This time it was Gabe’s turn to claim a solo. I took the mic back in my hand and walked to the front of the stage and proceeded with playing with the crowd a bit. I reached for the hands that longed to be touched. I winked at random people. I even shared the mic for a minute.

The cowards preach from pedestals  
With words like courage and resolve  
But what they meant is fuck ‘em all  
Cause freedom isn’t free.

They send our daughters and our sons  
To deserts under burning suns  
A sacrificial slaughtering to fill  
The pockets of the weak.

An artificial enemy  
Are we so easily deceived?  
They carry on  
Oooh 

I signed that they should sing and showed the others to be silent for a minute. The song was surprisingly well known and the crowd was very enthusiastic. 

Don’t carry on  
Just walk away  
How many more send to their graves  
In this lesson ignored

I fought your fight, bought your lie  
And in return I lost my life.  
What purpose does this serve?  
What purpose do I serve?

The first song was finished and I was glad that I had a bottle of water on stage.  
‘How’re you guys doin’? Having fun already?’ I yelled. I was answered with a lot of cheering.   
‘My name is Rachel! I’ll introduce you to the rest of the gang! Guitar is played by Dean!’ I pointed at him and he bowed.  
‘Drums are played by our beloved Gabriel!’ Gabe stood up and winked at the public.  
‘And the one you’ll see running around to different instruments all night, that’s Sam, our handyman!’ the cheering only went up a notch.  
‘We are Eden’s Tempest and we want to have a good night. So are you with us?’ A loud “yeah” reached the stage, but it wasn’t enough. Dean stole my microphone for a second and asked again.  
‘Are you with us?’ the “Yeah” was a lot louder now.  
‘C’mon, let’s go then!’ I ended and we went for the second song.  
When we chose the songs, we knew it was gonna be a good night, but I wasn’t expecting that it would be that good. When we were about to end before our first break, the crowd was that excited that we knew, we would be able to sing all of our extra numbers. I had just ended “Holiday” and continued with “Boulevard of broken dreams” when Cas signed to give everyone a pause.  
I walk a lonely road, the only one that I have ever known.  
Don’t know where it goes, but it’s only me and I walk alone.

I walk this empty street, on the boulevard of broken dreams.  
Where my city sleeps and I’m the only one and I walk alone.  
I walk alone, I walk alone. (2x)

The audience had already started to sing before I could lead the chorus. I just took the mic and walked towards them again. 

My shadow's the only one that walks beside me  
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating  
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me  
'Till then I walk alone

‘Thank you, we’ll take a short break, but we’re not going anywhere. We’ll be back so go fill your drinks and stay tuned!’ I laughed. While we were leaving the stage, the people cheered our names. As we entered our dressing room, we all cheered. This was going good.  
‘And who said she couldn’t pull it off? You’re a natural, Rachel.’ Gabe shouted. I got a bit of a blush on my face.   
‘Yeah, you really have them winded around your little finger’ Sam added.  
‘No offense, but I could say the same about you, boys’ I smirked as they laughed about my joke. I went to sit next to Cas.  
‘You already feeling a bit better?’ I asked. He shook his head.  
‘I went to run to the toilet three more times. I’m sorry, but you’re up for the night.’ Then he took my hands.  
‘You got this, sis. This evening is a success.’ At first, I didn’t believe him, but even I had to admit that the stage felt like home.   
The second and the third halves were a success as well and we couldn’t keep the crowd quiet. When I finally started our last song, they sang with us lustily, although it was a peaceful one. I took my guitar and moved a chair to the front of the stage, together with my microphone and started to sing.

He said "Son, have you seen the world?  
Well, what would you say if I said that you could?  
Just carry this gun and you'll even get paid."  
I said "That sounds pretty good."

Black leather boots  
Spit-shined so bright  
They cut off my hair but it looked alright  
We marched and we sang  
We all became friends  
As we learned how to fight

This song always managed to make me a little bit emotional, even when it was just starting. It was really obvious this time because the crowd could clearly hear it in my voice. I wiped away one tear fast and sang on. The chorus was the most known piece so everybody sang along. Even the band joined in. 

A hero of war  
Yeah that's what I'll be  
And when I come home  
They'll be damn proud of me  
I'll carry this flag  
To the grave if I must  
Because it's a flag that I love  
And a flag that I trust

I kicked in the door  
I yelled my commands  
The children, they cried  
But I got my man  
We took him away  
A bag over his face  
From his family and his friends

They took off his clothes  
They pissed in his hands  
I told them to stop  
But then I joined in  
We beat him with guns  
And batons not just once  
But again and again

Again, everybody joined, but this time, my boys came to the front to stand next to me. Dean and Sam put their arms on my shoulders and Gabe came to stand behind me. I will admit that at this moment, my voice crackled a bit. But I was at a place where I felt home, surrounded by my closest friends and my brother, who tripled on the stage for a second. He knew there was one piece in this song that really touched me and even when he was sick, he was there for me.

A hero of war  
Yeah that's what I'll be  
And when I come home  
They'll be damn proud of me  
I'll carry this flag  
To the grave if I must  
Because it's a flag that I love  
And a flag that I trust

The audience held up lighters and their phones with flashlights, waving them from the one side to the other. They were silent and let me finish the song in full rest. Those guys were awesome for doing that. As I continued, I felt a pair of hands holding my shoulders. Cas was there. My voice almost gave up because of the emotion and my eyes were watery. But I continued.

She walked through bullets and haze  
I asked her to stop  
I begged her to stay  
But she pressed on  
So I lifted my gun  
And I fired away

The shells jumped through the smoke  
And into the sand  
That the blood now had soaked  
She collapsed with a flag in her hand  
A flag white as snow

Now, when the hard part was over, I signed them that they should all sing along. We should finish our last song for tonight together.

A hero of war  
Is that what they see?  
Just medals and scars  
So damn proud of me  
And I brought home that flag  
Now it gathers dust  
But it's a flag that I love  
It's the only flag I trust

He said, "Son, have you seen the world?   
Well what would you say, if I said that you could?"

‘You guys are awesome!’ I shouted. I called every one of our group on stage.

‘Drums, Gabriel!’ I yelled as he bowed, winked and went off stage. 

‘All round, Sammy!’ He waved and followed Gabe, because he knew, Gabe would steal all of the good snacks otherwise.

‘Guitar and background singer is Dean!’ Dean kept waiting until I’d had every one. 

‘Lights and sound tech are Chuck and Balthazar!’ Those two were absolutely gleaming with the attention they got and both gave me a hug. Cas never did this for them, only because he forgot it every time.

‘Our sorta manager is Cole!’ he stayed at the back so I pointed at him. He just waved.

‘And the last special person I wanted to thank, is someone that lies the closest to my heart. He couldn’t make it to the stage today, because he is ill. But he’s our lead singer normally. Give it all for my brother, Cas!’ He ran up, still really pale, but happier than I ever saw him. He hugged me tight and thanked me like a hundred times.

‘We’re forgetting one last person. Or better said, she’s forgetting herself’ Dean said.  
‘She only knew that she would be lead singer 30 minutes before we started. She’s an amazing singer. I wanna hear you scream, for Rachel!’

The crowd was losing it while I flushed up totally red. We let them scream and shout for a couple of seconds, but then it was time to say goodbye.

‘We love you guys. Tonight was awesome! See you next time!’ and then the three of us ran off stage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the rest of the story will come your way chapter by chapter every week. i gotta warn tho. my mind is chaos and i don't know if i wall always succeed to upload on time. sorry in advance


	4. happy on stage, but what about home?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the aftermath of a succesful night is not always enough to keep the misery away. she has to fightt through but fortunately she doesn't have to fight alone.

Chapter 3

Dean’s POV

Rachel was totally exhausted and didn’t wait a second to let herself fall in the couch. She didn’t seem to notice that I was already sitting where she fell and she landed on my lap. I grunted for a minute, but took the chance to catch her in a hug and gave her the tickle treatment.   
‘That’s for stealing my doughnut’ I smiled. She sniggered.  
Gabe was taking beers out of the fridge and passed them around. 

‘Here’s to Rachel, our hidden miracle’ he said. Rachel looked a bit like a tomato. She didn’t like all the attention if she wasn’t on stage. They all praised her and she really seemed to be happy. After her third beer she fell asleep, still on my lap. She was leaning against my shoulder and I softly rubbed her back.  
‘Dean, we’ll bring her home. She is exhausted.’ Cas was already taking the keys and wanted to wake her up.   
‘No, don’t wake her. She’s a bad sleeper and I want to give her the rest she needs’ I interrupted. 

Reader’s POV (Rachel)

‘You guys bring the rest of our stuff?’ Cas asked. They told us they would bring everything.  
He carried me to the car, put me in the backseat and he drove me and Cas, who started vomiting again, home. When we arrived, he made sure that Cas was feeling better before he took me to bed. When he had covered me with the blankets, he sat down at the end of it. Not noticing I became half awake, he started talking.

‘Hey girl, you did well tonight.’ He whispered when he easily crept closer.  
He was practically sitting next to me now. I didn’t know what else to do so I kept pretending I was asleep. Then he started rubbing my back.   
‘Well, you’re asleep now, maybe it isn’t a bad idea if I do the same’ he said.  
I moved a little so my head was laying on his leg.

‘You don’t want me to go?’ he asked surprised.   
I was seconds away of falling asleep for real. He sighed, got rid of his shoes and crawled in bed next to me. As soon as he was laying comfortable, I moved myself from his leg to his chest and I suspected him from being surprisingly okay with that. He practically pulled me to his side and he laid an arm around my shoulders.   
‘Goodnight, Rachel, see you in the morning…’ I answered with a content sigh and I ran off to the dreamland.

What I didn’t expect, was that it would be a journey through nightmares. I wasn’t prepared for that. I really wasn’t. But I should’ve known. It had been calm for too long. So I started to hit everything around me. I was screaming out of full panic and my cheeks were a waterfall. And when Dean tried to wake me up, I accidently hit him in the face.

‘Rachel, wake up! OUCH! C’mon Rach, snap out of it!’ Dean yelled.  
Once I opened my eyes and awoke decently, the sobbing only got worse. Dean took me in his arms and soothed me. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t speak. I only saw the last image of my dream like it was burned into my eyes. I felt terribly guilty for hitting Dean. Wait, what was he doing in my bed? Oh right, I kinda lured him there. But he held me in his arms while I hid in his T-shirt. But the sobbing didn’t immediately stop.

‘Do you want me to get Cas? Will that calm you down a bit?’ he asked gently. All I could do, was nod. 

‘Ok, I’ll be right back, hun’ he said and then he left, almost directly bringing Cas into my room. He practically broke when he saw me like that. He locked me in his arms, trying to comfort me.

‘Shhhh, I’m still here, sis. Dad didn’t do anything to me. We’re both alive.’   
Dean was shocked that my nightmares were about my dad being a murderer. When Cas and I looked up, finally, we gazed at Dean, who was clearly looking for an explanation. 

‘Not now, Dean, I’ll tell you tomorrow’ I interrupted before he could say something. Both of them finally got me to calm down and breathe regularly. While I was freshening up a bit, Cas talked to Dean.

Dean’s POV

‘Look, I still have to run to the toilets every hour, but she can’t be alone right now. Will you stay with her for the night?’ he asked. I didn’t knew what to say. Were her nightmares that bad? I looked at Cas with big question marks in my eyes.   
‘Otherwise she will have more of them and she will be a mess. She needs to feel safe now and we both know that she feels safe with you’ he explained. I nodded.  
‘I’ll stay with her this night, but I expect an explanation in the morning.’   
‘You’ll get it… and Dean, don’t be surprised if she seems a little off tomorrow, ok?’   
I nodded again and crawled in bed with her afterwards.

‘You okay, Rachel?’ I gently asked. She sighed. These nightmares always got the best of her, Cas said.   
‘No, but I’ll live. Don’t you worry about me’ she answered in the same caring tone. I was surprised of how fragile she looked. She looked small and fragile like a porcelain statue when the moon lit her face like that. I could see every detail of her face. Her cute freckles, her normally rosy cheeks, her beautiful eyes, her perfect lips, … I could see the smallest detail. But I was used to see those lips form a smile. I was used to see those eyes brighten up her face. Her cheeks are supposed to be blushing all the time. Now I saw a side of Rachel that I had never seen before. She was very pale and looked as if she was carrying all the pain in the world. She appeared much older than 20.  
‘Dean, stop worrying. I’ll be fine. You heard me scream before, didn’t you?’ Now she was worried about me. Good job, me. The only thing I could do, was to take her in my arms to know that she was safe. She didn’t mind though.  
‘Thanks for being here, Dean’ she murmured right before she feel soundly asleep in my arms.

I woke up because of the cold spot next to me. Rachel was gone. In a wave of panic I sprinted outside.   
‘Cas, do you know where your sister is?’ I yelled. He nodded.  
‘I told you she was going to be a bit off today. She’s outside, at the beach. The sea always calms her mind. But now, I owe you something.’   
‘Hold up, I need coffee for that’ I interrupted. After I took a mug of coffee, we sat down at the door of our house. Gabe, Balthazar, Chuck, Cole and Sam were still asleep. We saw Rachel at the beach, just staring at the water. And then Cas told his story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter is on its way. leave kudos and comment what i can do better :)


	5. there is some explanation necessary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas explains what Rachel's nightmares usually are about. watch out, there are serious mentions of abuse

Chapter 4

‘She was 10 when our parents were finally arrested for drugs, abuse and drunkenness. But before that they were stoned and drunk all the time. Rachel was six when dad started abusing her. Mom helped him. They knocked me out and locked me in my room so I could hear her scream. They said every day that we were weak, that they were only teaching us to harden up. I could escape sometimes. I had my music. I had my band, but Rachel only had me. But the last night we were at our parents’ house, it was the worst night of my life and Rachel’s. Mom and dad were more stoned or drunk than I’d ever seen them. Dad took her again, but she started to fight back and he’d hit her over and over again until she ended up unconscious. My mom ran to the room where my dad was raping my little sister. The biggest shock came when I saw her holding a gun. My parents … had decided to… to kill my little sister. I loved her more than anything in the whole world.’ 

I needed to give Cas a break, and myself for that matter. This story was traumatising me. I couldn’t even imagine what Cas and Rachel were feeling.

‘I couldn’t let them do that, so I went after my mom, after kicking in the door to my room, and tried to take the gun. My mom slapped me against a wall, pointing the gun at me, but when she was distracted by the noises in Rachel’s room I could take it from her. I was in such a rage that my vision turned red. I shot my mom, Dean, just to protect my sister. When dad heard a gunshot and saw my mom laying on the ground, he wanted to come at me. I pointed the gun at him, threatening to shoot his drunk ass if he didn’t let Rachel go. I’d never seen her run that fast. Almost wearing nothing, I took a jacket from the hallway and told her to go outside.  
I took a phone and dialled 911 and just as they picked up, my dad started screaming so I only yelled the address. Then my dad managed to take the gun from me and I just ran outside, holding my little sister in my arms to protect her. Luckily, some of the neighbours had heard noise and came outside. None of them liked my parents and their disgust only grew when they saw the man pointing a gun at his own son and pulling the trigger. Then, the police came and ordered the man to stand down. They took my parents into custody after examining me and Rachel and taking our testimonies. I took care of her ever since. And our situation only got better when we came across you, guys.’   
Cas had ended his story. I putted an arm around his shoulders and let him get rid of the tears in his eyes. I looked in the direction of the girl sitting alone on the beach.

‘What happened to them, your parents?’ I asked.

‘They ended up in rehab, never coming out again. All the drugs and the booze made them crazy.’ Then he kept quiet for a while.

‘She got PTSD because of my abusive parents. Those bastards scarred her for life. You know that, what I just told you wasn’t the worst that they did to her? Sometimes, my mom would invite “friends” to join dad in raping her and she would watch’ he cried out. 

I felt my stomach turn and just threw up. That was too much. This story made me sick to the stomach. I felt so sorry for them. They were by far the nicest people I’d ever met.

‘Hey, Dean, go talk to her now. She’ll need you.’   
I looked at him for a second.  
‘Will you be okay?’ I asked. He shrugged.  
‘I’ll be fine, but it felt good to tell the whole story. Thank you.’   
‘Anytime, bro’ I answered. Then I stood up to go to the beach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm sorry i forgot to post this yesterday. i have a lot going on and things are a bit messy in my head. this is more therapy writning by the way, so it's written with all the pain i felt at the moment. it is not the same situation as i'm in. i just channel it this way.


	6. the sea isn't the only thing that calms me down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The waves really calmed my mind, brought me in some sort of trance. I was so glad we had a house near the beach. I knew I should tell Dean the whole story, but it was still painful. When I looked back to the house, I saw Dean already sitting outside with Cas, putting an arm around his shoulders. Then he bowed sideways and threw up. I knew what that meant. Cas had told him already.

Chapter 5

Reader’s POV (Rachel)

The waves really calmed my mind, brought me in some sort of trance. I was so glad we had a house near the beach. I knew I should tell Dean the whole story, but it was still painful. When I looked back to the house, I saw Dean already sitting outside with Cas, putting an arm around his shoulders. Then he bowed sideways and threw up. I knew what that meant. Cas had told him already. I turned back to the sea. Kept being mesmerised for a while. I was humming in myself when I heard footsteps coming closer.  
‘You ok?’ he asked.  
‘You know I’m not’ I answered while I removed an unknown tear.  
He came to sit next to me, his head leaning on my shoulder. We looked at the waves for a while before I spoke.  
‘Now you know the whole story huh?’ I asked. He nodded.  
‘I live that night in most of my nightmares. My dad takes the shot and kills Cas, and that’s where I wake up. Do you pity me now?’   
The last thing I needed, was pity. But he shook his head.  
‘You and your brother are the strongest persons I’ve ever met. I feel small next to you.’   
A smile found its way to my face and I slightly turned my head. I felt him looking at me.  
‘Don’t hide from me, beautiful. I would never even think of doing something to you that was a tenth of what your parents did. I couldn’t even imagine some parents doing that to their children.’ He took me in a tight hug.

‘Promise me that if you feel bad again, or something is bothering you, you come to me. I’ll help you through it.’

I was touched by his concerns. I was touched by the fact he thought I was strong. He stayed with me all night, so that I could get some decent sleep. Liking him was long gone, I full-on loved him now. All I wanted to do was kiss him, but I had no idea if he felt the same way.

Suddenly, he started humming our song, Young Volcanoes. I don’t know when we had decided it would be our song, but it was the first song I heard him sing. It was the first time we actually bonded. He told me then that I would never ever had to be alone again. And I get a good feeling every time I hear it. 

When Rome’s in ruins  
We are the lions  
Free of the colosseums

In poisonous places  
We are anti venom  
We’re the beginning of the end

He looked at me, his eyes telling me to sing along.

Tonight  
The foxes hunt the hounds  
It's all over now  
Before it has begun  
And we've already won

We are wild  
We are like young volcanoes  
We are wild  
Americana exotica  
Do you wanna feel a little beautiful baby? Yeah

We were both singing loud now. We heard Cas come closer to see what the hell was going on.

Come on make it easy  
Say I never mattered  
Run it up the flagpole  
We will teach you  
How to make  
Boys next door  
Out of assholes

Tonight  
The foxes hunt the hounds  
It's all over now  
Before it has begun  
And we've already won

We are wild  
We are like young volcanoes  
We are wild  
Americana exotica  
Do you wanna feel a little beautiful baby? Yeah

We are wild  
We are like young volcanoes  
We are wild  
Americana exotica  
Do you wanna feel a little beautiful baby? Yeah

At the end of our song, everyone was standing around us. They all had heard me scream this night and other nights before and knew something was definitely going on with me. But it didn’t bother me that much anymore. I always knew I wouldn’t stand alone. I had Cas, but now I also could rely on Dean for that matter. Gabe and Balthazar came to sit right next to me, next to us, because Cas sat at my other side.  
‘You know you’re not alone, right? You don’t have to carry the world on your shoulders. We’re a family, and we will never leave each other.’ I threw my arms around them and pulled them into a hug. A warm group hug followed, but after that, they threw me in the sea. Everybody soon followed. We were all batshit crazy, but it was sure that we were a family.


	7. disneyworld is tha bomb - yeah we know that Gabe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a trip to disneyworld changes the mood of everybody :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's a shorter chapter this time and i'm in a bit of a writings block concerning this story. i'll work on other stories though and you can send me requests if you want. however, i'm not good at writing smut (yet) so i can try but don't be dissapointed :/

Gabe’s POV

We all knew that Cas and Rachel came from a pretty much messed up situation, so Balthazar and I decided to lighten the mood. We organised a trip to a theme park. Everybody could use some free time and laughter. And hey, we were in Florida after all. We could go to Disney world. I know Chuck always wanted to go there and I kinda have to admit that I have a slight crush on the guy. Cole and Chuck made breakfast for everyone first and then we took off. The music was awesome and our roadtrip to Disneyworld ended in a jam session. But that was normal for us. We made music everywhere. I looked at B. We did good. Rachel was enjoying her day and Cas seemed more at ease as well. Dean was just scoring points at the shooting place and got a hold of a fluffed animal. He immediately gave it to our lady. She loved it. Cas was still forcing himself a bit to smile, but Cole made sure his laughter became sincere. We would make them forget what happened to them. That was our ongoing mission for already 7 years, officially. This trip gave me a bit time to talk to Chuck a bit more. It was glad to see him being happy over being here. Unfortunately, he didn’t do rollercoasters.  
‘Hey, Rachel, wanna go in that rollercoaster?’ I yelled. A sparkle appeared in her eyes.  
‘Race you there!’ and she started running. She was faster than me. Ofcourse she had to run a lot when she was growing up with us. We chased her on the beaches for ages to make her smile.  
‘No fair!’ I responded while I ran behind her. Us two were the only ones who had the guts to do stuff like this. The others were scared of heights or got sick very fast. Wusses. I usually suspected that girl to have an iron stomach. She could eat all she wanted and still do the craziest shit after that. When we could finally enter the ride, I teased her a bit.  
‘Don’t scream too loud, okay?’ She laughed.  
‘I am not the squeal pig of us two, G!’ Ok I lost my sass there. Damn, I trained this girl too well. She had surpassed the sass master. She smiled widely. I loved rollercoasters, but the sensation tickled my stomach and made me squeal. It was the same every time and I couldn’t help it. And then our ride left. For two minutes I squealed like a pig indeed, while she was just laughing her ass off. When we got out, our hair was wild, our cheeks rosy and we were both hyper. I lifted her on my back and ran to the others. She appeared 16 again, full of joy, happiness, energy and not so bothered. She looked like she wasn’t carrying the signs of an abusive father. It was refreshing to see her like that.  
‘Hey, who was that pussy who screamed the whole time?’ Chuck yelled. The others backed him up. I was about to point at Rachel, but she was first.  
‘It was some kid behind us’ she lied. Wow, I need to remind myself to thank her later on. When I looked at her, I only saw joy. This was a thank you, and she would thank me later on again to get her mind off things.   
‘Are we going to get lunch now? I’m starving’ Sam protested. We all looked at him for a second.  
‘Dude, you’re always starving’ I answered.   
I was awarded with a wave of laughter. Our day went fine further on. As we moved back to the car, Cas’ phone rang. When he answered, he soon turned pale and looked at Rachel. She figured it out soon enough.  
‘Oh no…’ was all she could say.


	8. the show must own it... or something like that?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> after hearing about her parent's escape from the asylum, there was a slight moment of panic. that moment soon vanishes when they have a new concert coming up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm sorry i'm a week late cause i was dealing with a shitty situation at home, but i planned to update it on tuesday. i totally forgot about it because of the bombings in brussels. i had been there in the morning and was in shock and totally forgot about it
> 
> i'll post two chapters today

Reader’s POV (Rachel)

This couldn’t be happening, not now. I started shaking the moment that I saw my brother’s face turn pale. I knew the only thing he was scared about. Mom and dad broke free. I needed to lean on something and Balthazar was there the minute he saw me tripping.   
‘Easy there, things will be alright’ he said to me with a soothing voice he only used when it was really necessary. I calmed down immediately.   
Cas and I shortly explained what was going on. Dean had heard the story as well and showed his overprotective side the minute he heard us say “mom and dad”.   
‘They won’t even come near you. We won’t let them’ he stated. Cas and I couldn’t be more grateful. But there were more urgent matters. We hurried ourselves home to prepare for our next concert. I was happy that I could throw myself into music. Music was my therapy. We started rehearsing some new songs. There was a lot of Greenday on the list and there were some All-American Rejects songs as well. We were gonna start with those ones. That would already be difficult enough. As we were rehearsing, Cole came to us. He told us that, since our last show, we’d grown popular. More places wanted us in their program and if we kept working like that, we soon would be noticed by a label company. That was the best news we could’ve got today and all of us were cheering.   
‘When is our next concert?’ I asked.  
‘Friday’ he answered.   
We had four days to prepare a whole bunch of new songs for our next show. That would be a lot of work. But it was good. The case of my parents was pushed out of my head. I genuinely smiled and had fun. I grew much closer with Gabe, Chuck and Balthazar in the day and Sam and Dean in the night, especially with Dean. We grew very close. Cole was gone most of the time so it was a bit difficult to bond with him. Two days before our show we had finished our playlist. We had less time to fill so it was shorter than usual.  
Song list:  
\- American idiot Greenday  
\- Light ‘em up Fall Out Boy  
\- Runnin’ Adam Lambert  
\- Livin’ on a prayer Bon Jovi  
\- Killing in the name of Rage against the machine  
\- New Divide Linkin Park  
\- Dirty Little Secret All-American rejects  
\- Fingers crossed Millencollin  
\- All the small things Blink-182  
\- The pretender Foo fighters  
\- Pour some sugar on me Def Leppard  
\- I write sins not tragedies Panic! At the disco  
\- Monster Skillet  
\- Diary of Jane Breaking Benjamin   
\- Roadside Rise against 

It was a short list with a lot of new songs, but we had only 1 hour to fill. After that we would get a slow evening. It was time for another family night. Those mostly included a lot of alcohol and an overflow of nachos and tortillas. We would see what kind of activities we would do. Once it had been an epic guitar hero battle between Sam and Dean, followed by one between Cole and me. It had been a total war. That had been a productive evening. We figured out that Cole was a talented guitar player. We tested that with giving him a guitar afterwards and he knocked us of our feet. We really didn’t expect that from our manager. It’d also been the first night I really felt a big part of the group, like I wasn’t just Cas’ little sister, but a person of my own. I was curious about what Sam had planned for us. Every slow evening was organised by someone else every time. When I had to organise it, it had been a Harry Potter marathon. It ended in me snuggling with Dean, Gabe hitting on Chuck and Sam falling asleep during the first part of the third movie. But it was fun and I heard the boys talk that they would make me organise the slow evenings again. But Sam has been planning for already two days and whatever he has in stock for us, it would be awesome. 

Two days later we were ready for our next show. It was in a small music hall somewhere in Wabasso, Florida. It wasn’t that far from where we lived, which was North Beach, Florida. It wasn’t even a long drive and we had plenty of time to get there. I was still in bed when it was 1 pm. I was surprised that the boys had let me sleep, but then I figured I could use all the rest I could get. It had been a number of tough nights. When I got down and took some coffee, I only saw Chuck.  
‘Hey, Chuck, where are the others?’ I asked. Chuck scoffed.  
‘Being their childish selves on the beach’ he answered. I looked out of the window. There they were, playing with water guns, laughing like little kids. A smile was creeping up on my face. I looked at Chuck next to me.  
‘Why aren’t you joining?’ I subtly asked. Chuck blushed, but said nothing. I looked at him and then followed his gaze. It was always pointed at a specific person, Gabe. Then all the pieces came together.  
‘Chuck, are you into Gabe?’ I asked. His face was pure shock.   
‘How do you know?’   
‘If you want to keep it subtle, you have to stop staring at him.’ I explained. And I thought about it. This wasn’t the first time he stared that much. Chuck sighed.  
‘Don’t tell him, okay? And by the way, you can be a little more subtle as well. I mean, you and Dean. You can’t stop staring at him.’ I blushed a bit as well. There we stood, the only ones who had a crush within the crew were the ones who didn’t have the guts to say it out loud.  
‘I won’t tell Gabe if you won’t tell Dean, okay?’   
He agreed and we both watched the boys we have a major crush on.  
‘So, you had a bit of a rough time, you up for tonight?’ he suddenly asked. I nodded. The thingy about my parents didn’t make me extra uncertain.  
‘Yeah, I’m ready for tonight. It’s just one difficult period in a year, Chuck. It’s one time that I actually feel like shit because of that. And every year, it’s having less of an impact.’ I looked at him.  
‘Thanks to you guys, I’m growing past it.’ Chuck smiled widely.  
‘C’mon girl, give me a hug, which will immediately be my last chick-flick moment for today.’   
I lost it. I really couldn’t keep it together. While laughing my ass off, I fell down and rolled into the sand. The boys at the beach stared at me in surprise and clearly wondered if I had finally lost my mind. I could tell Cas was even worried. He calmed down after he saw Chuck laughing as well. I could see Dean and Gabe looking at me and Chuck with a strange sparkle in their eyes. It looked an awful lot like jealousy to me. Balthazar, Sam and Cole ran towards us and tore us to the middle, where we got a shower of water balloons and water cannons.   
‘So, we all ready for tonight?’ I asked.  
‘Hell yeah’ they shouted.


	9. they're in for a surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sam is responsible for family night and we get a hint of what it is when rachel finds out.

Sam’s POV

What the hell happened to her? She’s supposed to be a mess, especially this time of the year. But no, she is a strong, independent woman who gets more and more comfortable with being the centre of attention. She even agreed to be a fulltime lead-singer until Cas had his voice back. Because of him being sick all the time, his vocal cords were damaged and she didn’t even hesitate to help her brother out. I’m not entirely sure Dean would do that for me. I can see what my brother sees in her. Even now, he stares at her like she is the only woman on the planet. When will she finally figure out the fact that he likes her? No, that was a matter for another conversation, maybe tonight, during family night. Now, we need to focus for our next show. It’s a place where we play our music a lot and it kinda feels a lot like a second home. Before I joined the band inside, I headed to the manager of the place.  
‘Hey Garth, long time no see!’ I yelled.  
‘Oh hi Sam, a package has arrived for you today. I thought it was a wrong delivery, but…’ he answered.  
‘No, I had let it deliver here on purpose. It’s for after the show, family night, and I don’t want the others to know what I have planned for them’ I explained. A mysterious smile found its way to Garth’s face.  
‘Well, they’re in for a surprise’ he laughed. I smuggled the box to the car and hurried myself inside to prepare for the evening.   
‘Hey, bitch, where were you’ Dean yelled.   
‘Shut up, ya jerk. I had a question for Garth. That’s all.’  
‘Well, Cas is pissed at you for being late, so get your ass inside’ he yelled back. I went inside as fast as I could to do my sound check and prepare for the show. Gabe and Balthazar had already claimed the good snacks so I sighed. Rachel sniggered.  
‘What?’ I asked.  
‘Nothing, but you need to be a bit more subtle about some things, like tonight’s surprise’ she answered.  
I panicked. ‘Don’t tell anybody, please?’   
She had to genuinely laugh, like one of those laughs we didn’t hear coming out of her often these days.   
‘Don’t worry, gigantor, I’ll keep my mouth shut’ she winked. She pulled me inside.  
‘Is it solo or in teams?’   
‘I won’t say anything more, Rach. I’m sorry’ I answered.  
‘Five minutes to stage!’ Cas suddenly yelled.  
I cursed. Time was going too fast these days. Rachel looked at me.  
‘Well, the show must go on, right? See you at the stage, Sam’ she smiled. There was something mesmerising about it. It made you happy the instant you saw it. It had been a long time since it had been like that. I was glad to notice I wasn’t the only person she had that effect on. She passed by Balthazar, Chuck, Cole and Dean and they all had a wide smile on their face. We all knew what that meant. She was finally getting better.   
‘One minute to stage, c’mon guys, hurry!’ Cas panicked.  
While we were ready to rock, we all yelled to Cas.  
‘Dude, the only person that is allowed to yell at us is Cole, or Rachel, since she is the only girl in our group.’ Then we hurried on stage so he couldn’t say another word.


	10. show time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a fridaynight concert gets the band groupies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is a short one, and i don't have much time to update my story. i'll do my best, but being dumped n all, i have a rough time

Cas’ POV

I wanted to scream at the guys but then the first notes of the first song already sounded. After that, I was completely silenced by the singing voice of my sister. I was always surprised of how much she actually had grown. She wasn’t even near that little girl that barely escaped death. She was a strong, beautiful, smart and talented young lady now. I actually felt bad that she had to grow up that fast, but sometimes she wasn’t a 24 year old woman. Sometimes she could be a 16 year old as well. And when the first sounds of her voice sounded through the microphone, I immediately glowed because of the pride I had for her. She sang like an angel, a punk rock angel though and she looked like one too. This was one of her favourite songs ever and that was clear in the way she sang it.

Don't wanna be an American idiot.  
Don't want a nation under the new mania  
And can you hear the sound of hysteria?  
The subliminal mind fuck America.

Welcome to a new kind of tension.  
All across the alienation.  
Where everything isn't meant to be okay.  
Television dreams of tomorrow.  
We're not the ones who're meant to follow.  
For that's enough to argue.

She was having the time of her life. She joined Gabe behind the drums, Dean with the guitar and Sam with everything else. Then she walked forward to the crowd, who was already losing it.

Well maybe I'm the faggot America.  
I'm not a part of a redneck agenda.  
Now everybody do the propaganda.  
And sing along to the age of paranoia.

Welcome to a new kind of tension.  
All across the alienation.  
Where everything isn't meant to be okay.  
Television dreams of tomorrow.  
We're not the ones who're meant to follow.  
For that's enough to argue.

Then she held up the mic to the people in the audience. They sounded as one when they sang the song. In the meantime, Dean had done a solo and Gabe had already smashed a pair of his drumsticks. 

Don't want to be an American idiot.  
One nation controlled by the media.  
Information age of hysteria.  
It's calling out to idiot America.

Welcome to a new kind of tension.  
All across the alienation.  
Where everything isn't meant to be okay.  
Television dreams of tomorrow.  
We're not the ones who're meant to follow.  
For that's enough to argue.

I smiled. Greenday was always a good evening starter and the band was having the time of their life. Suddenly I felt a bit left out. It wasn’t my fault though. I had nothing to do with the fact that my vocal cords were damaged by being sick. I woke up from my daydreaming. In the meantime Rachel had already started the second song and the audience was losing their sanity. I had to check the list for a second to recognise the song they were playing. It was a new one from Fall Out Boy. I did not particularly like that band, but my sis could definitely make it work. She even made me like that version.

All the writers keep writing what they write  
Somewhere another pretty vein just dies  
I've got the scars from tomorrow and I wish you could see  
That you’re the antidote to everything except for me, me

A constellation of tears on your lashes  
Burn everything you love, then burn the ashes  
In the end everything collides  
My childhood spat back out the monster that you see

My songs know what you did in the dark

The chorus sounded loud, coming from the audience. We always had success in this area, because this was kind of our place. Our dressing room in the back even had our name on it. We came here every two weeks. We kinda grew up here, Rachel and I. I sneaked her in a couple of times.

Holy crap, the evening went on fast. The hour had already passed by.  
‘Thanks guys, we’ll see you guys next time!’ Rachel yelled and they all left the stage, entering the dressing room, where I was waiting. When they all sat down, Garth and Cole entered as well.  
‘Guys, we’re getting there. This was an awesome evening’ Cole smiled. We could all feel that things were getting good.  
‘We even have some groupies inside who wanna meet you!’ That was new. We never had groupies before. It was exciting. It gave me more motivation to get on the stage again. That was something I should speak with Rachel about. She would love it, but she would want me to heal at first.  
‘So, shall I bring them in?’ Cole asked. We all nodded. But before we would meet our first groupies, Garth wanted to say something.  
‘Well, guys, every night you come and play your music, business is booming. So I wanted to ask if you’re up to play here each Friday?’ It came out quite shy actually. We discussed that for a moment but agreed then.   
‘Okay guys, I’ll go make the contract now and your fans are coming!’ he said. Then he walked out of the room so we could prepare for our fans. Family night would have to wait.


	11. we get a visit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the visiting of the fans

Reader’s POV (Rachel)

This was exciting. It would be the first time that we actually got fans to visit us. I felt sorry for Sam though. He had planned such a nice activity for our family night. But he wouldn’t mind this, I think. I saw a hot blonde chick checking him out all night. Chuck still had his attention focused on Gabe, but even he could get lucky. And for myself? There were a lot of male fans and even a few female ones that couldn’t keep their eyes of me, but I couldn’t keep mine of Dean, so I wouldn’t get lucky. While we were waiting, Dean came to sit right next to me and laid an arm around my shoulders. He looked like he wanted to ask me something and I bowed closer.  
‘Can I talk to you later this evening?’ I nodded, of course he could. There were some things I wanted to say to him as well. It finally got time that I spoke out my feelings. But now, the fans were coming and we needed to be ready for that. We kept close though, like he was saying: ‘Back off, she’s mine’. But I was probably imagining that.   
When the fans entered, we were taken back by the enthusiasm. There were a lot of them. There were a lot of girls and Sam was already talking to a pretty blonde. I could only understand that her name was Jess and that she was in Law school. I looked over to my brother. I was surprised. He opened himself up to other people. It was the first time he did that since, well you know. He was talking to a blonde and a brunette. He seemed really happy. Gabe and Chuck were talking to some guys and Balthazar already got lucky. Cole wasn’t here. He had to get some stuff in order. He better be there for family night. In the meantime, Dean and I stayed close. Yes, we talked and laughed, but we weren’t really paying attention.   
After an hour it was time to wrap it up. Some of them wanted to stay, but that would be for another night. On family night it was only the band, tech and Cole. That was the deal. Balthazar gave a goodbye kiss and a promise to go on from where they left things. Sam exchanged numbers and I saw Cas doing the same. I was happy beyond control.  
‘C’mon guys, it’s time for family night!’ Sam then yelled and we all went back to the car. I was curious how this evening would end.

Dean’s POV

I asked her. I finally asked her. And she said that she wanted to talk with me as well. Could I be wrong? Could she like me the way I liked her? I would know later this evening. Now we still had to endure the fans. I saw my brother talking with a blonde girl. It seemed like he was having fun. I was happy for that. I thought he wouldn’t heal from the last one. Ruby was a bitch and Sam was too good for her. Now he looked happy. I looked over to Cas and was surprised again. He was talking to two girls. He finally grew out of his awkwardness. Then it was time to leave. We had a family night ahead of us. Sam’s enthusiasm was bigger than I’d ever seen. I was curious. When walking to the cars I asked him about the girl he was talking to. He just shrugged.  
‘C’mon dude, I could see you like her! Don’t hold back this time, ok?’  
He just gave me an empty promise. I sniggered. I would make it work. A plan started to form in my head.  
When we got back home, Sam lured us into the hills near the beach. Then he explained what he got for us.  
‘You guys know lasertag?’


	12. lasertag

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> c'mon, it's lasertag, no summary needed

Chapter 11

Balthazar’s POV

Lasertag? Seriously? C’mon, what are we, twelve year olds? Did he think we would like it? Well, he was goddamn right. I love this game. It had been ages since we did something like this. Our luck was also that we still had the light. That gave us the opportunity to end this evening with a beach party. I talked about it with the rest of the crew. They all agreed and we could even invite some people. I immediately texted the girl I got to know that day. I saw Sam and Cas taking their phones as well. They answered with great enthusiasm. Cole also invited Garth. Gabe, Chuck, Dean and Rachel just looked at each other in a way they thought was subtle. Well, then Sam, Cas, Cole and I would have all the fun. First of all, we had to make teams. That was rather predictable. Rachel formed a team with Cas and Dean with Sam. Gabe wanted in with Chuck which left me with Cole. I was cool with that. Cole is nice and a good shot. We would win this thing. It was easy, the last team standing, won. We sprinted away in different directions and the game began.  
It was clear very soon that I had underestimated the other teams. I lost Cole really fast in a surprise attack by Gabe and Chuck. I saw the same happen in other teams. I really should pay attention. I got Cas after that though, not that it was hard because the guy isn’t really a silent person in this case, but Rachel was nowhere to be seen. Two down, six to go. The first battle was always the heaviest and now, people went in hiding, watching their backs more and more. It fell a little silent now. Wait, there was Sam. I aimed and fired. It was a hit.  
‘Oh c’mon B’ he raged. He was really disappointed.   
‘I hoped to get Rachel in a surprise attack.’   
He was interrupted by a shot aimed in my direction. It was a hit. I cursed loudly and turned around. Rachel was standing there, laughing.  
‘Oh, don’t you all?’ she mocked. Then she heard a strange noise and fled again. The source of the noise was Dean.  
‘Hey, you guys seen Rachel?’ he asked in an innocent way. Suddenly, both Sam and I had to laugh. It was clear who was gonna win this game. It wouldn’t be Dean and it certainly wouldn’t be those other two.

Rachel’s POV (Reader)

I got Balthazar out without any trouble. Actually the only person I would have to pay attention to, is Dean. Chuck and Gabe were probably making out in the bushes somewhere. Or so I hoped. There were only four more. I made it so far, I wasn’t gonna let it end for me so soon. I heard some noise near the house. Yes, I was right. Gabe and Chuck were finally making out. I was really happy for Chuck. He finally has some luck in his life. Just as I was to engage and finish them off, I got pulled back and smashed into a wall. Dean kept me there and pointed his lasergun at me.   
‘Well, well, well, I didn’t think you would let your guard down like this. I must say, I’m surprised.’   
Ok, now I was pissed. I stopped watching my back and that would probably be the end of the game for me.  
‘Well? You not gonna take your shot?’ I challenged. He sniggered and came closer.  
‘No, I’m gonna enjoy this’ he seductively whispered. His eyes moved from my eyes to my lips and back.  
‘I’m gonna enjoy every moment that you realise you won’t win.’  
I bit my lip and leaned a bit closer.  
‘Dean, can I give you some advice?’ I said in the same tone. He nodded surprised, still leaning in that close.   
‘Never think you’ve won when the woman still holds her gun!’ I mocked and finished the game for him. The surprised expression on his face was all worth it. I ran to Gabe and Chuck as well and finished the game. They didn’t bother though. They only jumped when they saw me taking the shots.   
‘Woohoow, I won!’ I shouted and proceeded with running to the place we all were gonna gather. I looked back one more time to see the smile on Dean’s face. And was there a little bit of jealousy as well?

When everyone got back to the open space, we decided that it was still warm enough to swim. We didn’t even bother to get rid of our clothes. We just all jumped into the water. When we got rid of our adrenaline and just floated a bit, Sam asked the question.  
‘Dean, how come that you got shot?’   
I tried to control myself. I really tried, but I just couldn’t. The look that Dean gave me, could’ve killed me, but I didn’t care.  
‘He had me pinned to a wall and was bragging about how he got me, but he forgot I was still holding my gun’ I sniggered.  
‘OK, that’s it, Rachel, come here’ he yelled. I screamed and ran back to the beach, but he was faster. He got me in a matter of seconds and put me under water. It wasn’t for long though, because I always flinch when someone does that. I coughed when I got back up and clinged to Dean. He held me bridal style for the remaining time in the water. We watched the sunset together with the whole group and it was in moments like this, that I felt myself at home.

Dean’s POV

When the water was too cold to stay in, Gabe called “dibs” for the shower. Chuck joined in after him. I didn’t mind a cold shower now. The heat that was raging through me would warm me up soon. I was still holding Rachel in my arms and she didn’t let go herself. While everyone was already heading inside, we were still in the water. It took the others an hour to clear the showers for us.  
‘You go first’ I said.  
‘You sure?’   
‘Yeah, go ahead, I’m okay with it.’   
‘Come inside already, it’s no use to get hypothermia by staying here.’  
I nodded. We went inside together and while she headed to the bathroom, I stayed in my room, already getting out of my wet clothes. Damn, I was happy that I could control myself, even though it was hard. I had been on the verge of kissing her there and then, maybe doing even more. She looked ridiculously hot when her wet clothes showed every curve of her body. I was happy that the water was too cold to get a boner, because that had been awkward. I heard the shower stop and Rachel stepping out. Ten minutes later she passed by my room, wearing nothing but her underwear and a towel around her.  
‘Shower’s yours, D. there’s still some warm water left.’  
I managed to mumble a “Thank you” before my eyes turned back in my head and I felt my arousal grow. No, calm your mind. Just go take that shower and you will feel better. I walked into the bathroom and showered with cold water, just to calm down. While I took a towel, I heard noises coming from the beach. Chuck was getting a fire started and B brought the beer. There were guests coming. Right, we allowed some people to come. Rachel just walked outside. Damn, she looked good. We never saw her in a dress that much and now she was wearing a simple, stainless white one without straps, covered by a jeans vest. Her hair normally was bound in a ponytail or bun, but now she’d let it loose and her long curly hair bounced up and down when she walked. She looked like an angel. I had to force myself to stop staring at her and get dressed. After that, I went downstairs to them as soon as possible to join her, I men, her and the rest of the band. Damn, I was in deep and there was no coming out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm sorry i'm late with the update, again. i'm in an emotional low right now and honestly, i'm surprised that i'm still (mostly) mentally stable. i hope that it will go better from now on


	13. bonfire night

Cas’ POV

Everyone was gathered around the campfire, even the extra guests. Hannah was sitting next to me and appeared a little bit shy. I could understand that, so I calmed her down. Jess was there as well, sitting next to Sam and Balthazar’s girl came as well. Garth just arrived with his wife and kid. They couldn’t find a babysitter. The boy was adorable and the girls melted away. I could even see some of the boys melt when they saw the adorable little toddler.   
‘What’s his name, Garth?’ I asked.  
‘Jesse’ he answered and Jesse’s head shot up when he heard his name. We all had to laugh. Not understanding what was happening, he ran to his mom, who took him in her arms. Then he looked around.   
Chuck and Gabe kept the fire burning. There were some subtle touches, but no one seemed to notice. So I was talking to Hannah. Chuck and Gabe were flirting at the fire. B was busy with the girl that he brought. Sam was laughing with something that Jess said and they scooted closer to each other. Cole was talking to Garth while his wife was playing with Jesse. And Dean was crushing on my sister so hard that everyone noticed it. Well, I had to say, she looked beautiful tonight, less boy-like. The beer was flowing and everyone was having a great time. There was one moment where we all freaked out a bit though. Little Jesse had taken his dad’s empty beer bottle and pretended to take a sip. At first, his mom was a bit angry at him, but when she saw us smiling about it, she laughed as well.  
Time goes fast when you’re having fun. Jesse fell asleep on his mother’s lap and she and Garth decided to take him home. They thanked us for the invitation and then they left.   
Everyone crept closer to each other and the Rachel took her guitar from behind her.  
‘Maybe it’s time for some campfire songs?’ she asked. We all agreed. We could pass the guitar on and everyone could have their turn.

Almost heaven, West Virginia, Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River.  
Life is old there, older than the trees, younger than the mountains, blowing like a breeze.

Country roads, take me home to the place I belong.  
West Virginia, mountain mamma, take me home, country roads.

Her voice sounded light and soothing. Her singing gave me the urge to wrap my arms around her, but instead I wrapped an arm around Hannah’s shoulders. She immediately leaned in. Rachel must’ve seen it because she smiled for no reason. Her singing became happier. Her eyes became even more vivid. 

All my memories gather round her, miner's lady, stranger to blue water.  
Dark and dusty, painted on the sky, misty taste of moonshine, teardrop in my eye.

Country roads, take me home to the place I belong.  
West Virginia, mountain mamma, take me home, country roads.

I hear her voice in the morning hour, she calls me, the radio reminds me of my home far away.  
And driving down the road I get a feeling that I should have been home yesterday, yesterday.

She started to clap in her hand and we immediately joined in, singing along.

Country roads, take me home to the place I belong.  
West Virginia, mountain mamma, take me home, country roads.

Country roads, take me home to the place I belong.  
West Virginia, mountain mamma, take me home, country roads

Take me home now, country roads,  
Take me home now, country roads.

She ended the song with a long note. We all applauded for her. In our own group, we could sing the chick flick songs we all secretly liked. Now it was Cole’s turn. He took over the guitar and started tuning. We had no idea which song he was gonna play and we never actually heard him sing. 

Go on and close the curtains  
'Cause all we need is candlelight  
You and me, and a bottle of wine  
To hold you tonight (oh)

Well we know I'm going away  
And how I wish - I wish it weren't so  
So take this wine and drink with me  
And let's delay our misery

Save tonight and fight the break of dawn  
Come tomorrow - tomorrow I'll be gone  
Save tonight and fight the break of dawn  
Come tomorrow - tomorrow I'll be gone

Our mouths fell wide open. His voice was amazing. We never thought he had this talent. Why didn’t he tell us? When he saw the surprise on our faces, he smiled. He gestured Rachel to sing along. She knew! She knew he was an awesome singer. They had practised this.

There's a log on the fire  
And it burns like me for you  
Tomorrow comes with one desire  
To take me away (ohh it's true)

It ain't easy to say good-bye  
Darlin' please, don't start to cry  
'Cause girl you know I've got to go (oh)  
And Lord I wish it wasn't so

Save tonight and fight the break of dawn  
Come tomorrow - tomorrow I'll be gone  
Save tonight and fight the break of dawn  
Come tomorrow - tomorrow I'll be gone

Tomorrow comes to take me away  
I wish that I, that I could stay  
But girl you know I've got to go (oh)  
And Lord I wish wasn't so

Save tonight and fight the break of dawn  
Come tomorrow - tomorrow I'll be gone  
Save tonight and fight the break of dawn  
Come tomorrow - tomorrow I'll be gone  
Save tonight and fight the break of dawn  
Come tomorrow - tomorrow I'll be gone  
Save tonight and fight the break of dawn  
Come tomorrow - tomorrow I'll be gone

Tomorrow I'll be gone

Cole played the last chords and we all applauded. While the guitar was given to the next person, Sam, I had to ask.  
‘Why didn’t you say you were this talented? You could join on the stage?’   
He had to calm me down.  
‘Cas, I’m a good singer. I can play the guitar decently. But I’m not made to show it off on a stage. It’s no problem in front of my friends, but I will never join up there’ he answered. I guess I had to live with that.  
At that same moment, the next song started. We knew right away which song it was and decided to all keep quiet. Sam sang this the best if no one sang along. I pulled Hannah a little bit closer. She didn’t seem to mind though. She even leaned her head on my shoulder. It felt comfy. I don’t know what happened, but this girl gave me the butterflies.

Big wheels keep on turning   
Carry me home to see my kin   
Singing songs about the Southland   
I miss Alabamy once again   
And I think its a sin, yes

Well I heard mister Young sing about her   
Well, I heard ole Neil put her down   
Well, I hope Neil Young will remember   
A Southern man don't need him around anyhow

Sweet home Alabama   
Where the skies are so blue   
Sweet Home Alabama   
Lord, I'm coming home to you   
Here I come Alabama

Now Muscle Shoals has got the Swampers   
And they've been known to pick a song or two   
Lord they get me off so much   
They pick me up when I'm feeling blue   
Now how about you?

Sweet home Alabama   
Where the skies are so blue   
Sweet Home Alabama   
Lord, I'm coming home to you

It was a shame that he sang the short version, but it was beautiful again. I even saw Rachel wipe away a tear. The last one for today was Dean. I knew which one he was gonna sing. I heard him practise it the other day. It was purely dedicated to her.

Feel my way through the darkness,  
Guarded by a beating heart  
I can’t tell where the journey will end,  
But I know where to start.

They tell me I'm too young to understand  
They say I'm caught up in a dream  
Well life will pass me by if I don't open up my eyes  
Well that's fine by me

So wake me up when it's all over  
When I'm wiser and I'm older  
All this time I was finding myself  
And I didn't know I was lost

Wish that I could stay forever this young  
Not afraid to close my eyes  
Life's a game made for everyone  
And love is the prize

So wake me up when it's all over  
When I'm wiser and I'm older  
All this time I was finding myself  
And I didn't know I was lost  
And I didn’t know I was lost…

The whole song Rachel had looked at him with so much love in her eyes. Now it was impossible that Dean didn’t notice. He had looked at her the whole time too. Would they finally notice? Would they finally stop walking circles around each other? He put the guitar behind him in the sand and took her in a tight hug. Now they really should talk.  
It was time for Hannah to go home. I walked her to her car and gave her a bit of an awkward hug.  
‘I really had an awesome time, Cas. Thank you for inviting me’ she whispered. I could only shrug and be shy. Suddenly I felt her lips on mine. It took me a second to kiss back, but an explosion of happiness found place in my heart. When she finally moved away, we both smiled. This wouldn’t be the first time that would happen. I kept standing there until five minutes after she left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm gonna take a break after this chapter because i have to put my mind at ease. i'm sorry if i dissapoint you guys, but things are far from good now and i need to sort it out. again, i apologise for it, but i'll be back, i promise. i just need a pause


	14. Finally

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a deep conversation at the camp fire brings the reader something she never saw coming but hoped for with every fibre of her being.

Reader’s POV (Rachel)

I couldn’t believe my eyes. Was my brother kissing someone? The doubt soon got replaced by pure happiness. He finally opened up towards other people. Even Dean was happy for him.   
‘About time, don’t you think?’ he whispered in my ear. The sensation in my ear tickled. I had to giggle.   
‘Yeah, it took him long enough.’   
We watched him while her stared at her car. Then, our eyes found an image of Sam making out with Jess. Dean’s eyes immediately sparkled happily. He kept playing his role of overprotective grumpy brother though.  
‘Okay, I don’t need to see that side of my brother’ he mumbled. I looked at him for a second. Then, I couldn’t keep it to myself.  
‘Hey, Sam, rent a room!’ I yelled. Dean’s face was a treasure. The mixture of shock and pride and embarrassment was hilarious. Sam jumped up, but forgave me when he saw his brother’s face.  
‘I’ll take it to my room then?’ All I gave him was a thumbs up.  
‘Thanks Rachel, his room is next to mine’ he complained. Oops, I didn’t think that one through.  
‘Looks like I have to find another room to sleep in’ he playfully whispered in my ear. I only smiled. We sat there in full silence, enjoying the last warmth of the fire. Everyone else already went inside. I heard him sigh.  
‘You look beautiful tonight’ he suddenly uttered.   
‘You’re not so bad yourself, Winchester’ I answered. He chuckled.  
‘Just wearing the same things as always.’ He denied my compliment and turned his head away. I gently turned it back so that he was looking at me.  
‘A, I know that and B, that’s not what I meant.’ I hope that my eyes told him everything that he needed to know.   
‘Ever since you know me, you’ve been there for me, protected me, taught me to “man up”. That was Cas’ task, not yours and you learned him to do the same. You took care of us when your own situation wasn’t that easy as well.’   
He wanted to interrupt me, ask me how I knew, but I kept him quiet.   
‘I am not the only one that has nightmares, Dean. I heard you yell. I saw you stiffen. I wiped away every tear. Do you think it was coincidence that I was always near you? You told me how to take care of myself, but you had spent your whole life taking care of other people instead of yourself. I was always there to soothe you, even if you didn’t realise that.’   
He was astounded.   
‘So yeah, I think you’re handsome all the time. And I think that you’re strong beyond compare’ I ended.  
‘All the time I thought I was checking up on you, you were actually doing the same for me?’ he asked. I nodded.  
‘I care about you, maybe even more that I like to admit.’  
‘You shouldn’t. I’m a total mess.’ He turned away from me again.  
I forced him to look me in the eye.  
‘Dean Winchester, does it look like I have everything under control? Whatever mess that you’re in, I don’t give a rat’s ass about it. Let someone care about you this time, okay?’   
What happened next went so fast that I didn’t completely realise what happened. He gently cupped my face and gave me a soft kiss on my lips. When he felt me kissing back, I felt him smile.  
‘I’ve waited a long time to do that’ he whispered.   
‘I’m glad you stopped waiting’ I winked. I was awarded with another kiss, more passionate and less soft. Before I knew, I was sitting on his lap. The next kiss was more intense as our hands found their way on the body of the other. He lifted me in his arms and carried me to my room, where he placed me on my bed. There didn’t happen a lot more. We were both really tired. So he just wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. We fell asleep soon after.

When I woke up the next morning, I had to think a minute why Dean was in bed with me, why he pulled me so close. Right, we kissed. I turned around in his grip to look at his face. I was greeted by a pair of green eyes.  
‘Good morning, beautiful’ he softly mumbled, his voice still husky from the sleep.  
‘Good morning, handsome’ I answered. He pulled me even closer.  
‘I honestly never thought I would wake up to this, you know.’   
I giggled. ‘You’re telling me? I know the feeling.’   
His hand slipped under the T-shirt I was using as pyjamas and stroked the skin of my belly, while he buried his face in the crook of my neck.  
‘Dean, stop it!’ I laughed.  
‘Why?’  
Because it tickles, that’s why’ I answered. I should not have said that. Dean moved and he ended on top of me and started tickling even more. After a while I started tickling back.  
We were interrupted by Gabe and Chuck entering the room. We jumped up.  
‘Keep it down, here. Some people are still trying to sleep, you know’ they complained. I looked at the clock. It was 11.30 am and everyone else was already awake.  
‘Dude, stop complaining. That frown doesn’t suit you, G’ I mocked.   
‘She has a point though. Your face is much more handsome without the frown’ Chuck agreed with me. Dean had to laugh.  
‘Well, Gabe, it looks like you’re powerless against those two. I’m sorry, man’ he said, not feeling sorry for a minute.  
‘Just wait for my revenge, you two’ he mumbled. Chuck took his hand.  
‘Well, you can think of your revenge in bed with me.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so, i finally found the energy to write the next chapter. it's been a long time, i know and i'm still not okay, but i'm getting help and i am actually improving.


	15. what the hell?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Fear? Greek language? Phobos! You’re servants of Phobos, the god of fear’ I exclaimed. Cole was hiding behind me.  
> ‘How do you know that?’  
> ‘I read a lot, Cole. You should try it sometimes.’  
> ‘This is not the time to be sassy, Rachel!’  
> ‘I’m sorry, happens every time when I get nervous or afraid!’

Dean’s POV

The next weeks, everything went awesome. We ended every concert with a bigger amount of success. Cas fully healed, but decided he wanted to manage the band together with Cole, which made Rachel full-time lead singer. My brother and Jess were really hitting it off and it almost was a steady relationship. Chuck and Gabe were making out all over the house. We just hoped they didn’t do the do on the kitchen table yet. Cas and Hannah were adorable together and everyone was just plain happy. It was the first time we could do so much without there being a complication of some sort. We all had some. Rachel and Cas had the abusive parents. I had a homicidal ex-girlfriend. Gabe had the gay bashing parents and Chuck, well, that was a whole other story. He had a self-destructive, manipulative sister. She was hot though, but she knew it and used that for her own profit. In one way or another, they all represented our biggest fears. Except for Cole. We knew nothing about his family. Even within our little family, he was the most mysterious guy of all.

Our luck couldn’t be that long. A couple of days later, right after a concert, we noticed someone staring at us. It was a hot chick, but she gave me the goosebumps. It was like I knew her. Chuck didn’t show his face that evening. When I went to look for him, I found him hiding in the dressing room. His face was total panic.  
‘Hey, man, what’s going on?’ I asked him while trying to calm him down.  
In the meantime Gabe and Rachel entered the room. They immediately got worried about him and Gabe cupped his face.  
‘What’s going on, babe? Is she here?’ he asked without hesitation. Rachel got very angry when she found out who they were talking about.  
‘Did she still not learn her lesson?’ she raged.  
Now I was really confused. While I tried to calm her down, I asked the question on my mind.  
‘Who are you talking about? Who is here?’  
‘Amara found me’ Chuck stumbled. My blood ran cold and my eyes grew big in fear. That girl had almost meant the end of the band and of my life and Chuck’s life. She managed to persuade some big guys that we were threatening her. We managed to run, but it didn’t stop there for Chuck. She bullied him and made his life miserable.  
‘I tried to hide so she wouldn’t find me ever again. The last time I saw her, was right before my parents sent her to the institute. She never forgave me for betraying her about the thefts she committed and swore revenge. I don’t know what to do. She won’t leave me alone!’  
We were lucky the show was already over. He wasn’t obligated to do anything this evening, but I stared at him while a fear I had never seen on him, found its way to his face.  
‘She won’t be able to get to you, Chuck. We won’t let it happen.’  
‘How did she find you?’ I asked. A strange feeling nestled itself in my stomach.  
‘I don’t know, but that’s not all, Dean.’  
I didn’t wanna hear what he was about to say, but he still did.  
‘She brought Lisa with her.’

Reader’s POV (Rachel)

I was barely fast enough to support Dean when his legs stopped working.  
‘Hey, Dean, what’s going on?’ I asked. I never heard about Lisa before. Chuck answered.  
‘She tried to kill him when he dumped her for cheating on him. She couldn’t stand it and chased him with a knife.’  
I turned pale of rage. As calm as I could, I made Dean sit on a chair and started shaking. He was mine now and whoever Lisa was, she threatened the guy I loved.  
‘Where is she?’  
‘No, Rachel, you’re not going to do anything to them’ Chuck and Gabe said. That moment, Cas entered the room, asking what was going on. When we explained and the others still tried to prevent me for going on a hitting spree. Cas chuckled.  
‘Good luck keeping her from doing that. She’s very protective when it comes to her loved ones’ he explained when I found my chance to escape. That was the last sound I heard before I bumped into Sam. When he saw my face, he immediately knew. We had an understanding I didn’t even share with Dean. We were both capable of doing horrible things to protect the ones we care about. I was happy I didn’t stand alone.  
‘Lisa?’ he asked.  
‘And Amara’ I answered.  
‘Let’s raise some hell!’

We heard them before we saw them. They were talking to Cole to find information about us. I ran towards him.  
‘Cole, don’t tell them anything. They’re dangerous!’ I yelled. When he looked at me, Lisa took a knife and held it to its throat.  
‘There she is, the person our master wants to see’ Amara said. Her voice didn’t sound right. She was a bitch, but it didn’t sound human. When I looked again their eyes flickered and Amara changed form. My eyes grew big out of fear when I saw what/who she was turning into. The Lisa changed as well and now Cole started shaking. Amara became my dad and Lisa became a man I didn’t know. It had to be Cole’s dad. He told me one time about how he was the victim of an anger attack from this man. That’s the only thing he ever told me about his family and he made me promise to never talk about it again. Apparently it was a lot more than just one time.  
‘You’re such an easy victim, Rachel. Take away the ones you love and you’re nothing.’ I stepped back out of pure fear. Cole fell through his knees and that seemed to bring me back. Cole was still petrified out of fear, but I could move again. I looked at Sam for a second and he understood. No one would come out of that door as long as Cole and I didn’t come back in. I pulled Cole away and he crawled back on his feet.  
‘What is going on, Rachel? What are they?’ he asked.  
‘I don’t know, Cole, but they know our biggest fears. How do we fight our biggest fears?’ My voice trembled and my breathing became rapid. I hated this feeling of pure fear. I hated it with every fibre in my body. As a child I had been afraid every day of my life. I didn’t want that feeling anymore.  
The monsters came closer.  
‘You can’t beat us. We’re the servants of Fear’ they said in unison. Then they mumbled something in ancient Greek. Something inside my mind clicked.  
‘Fear? Greek language? Phobos! You’re servants of Phobos, the god of fear’ I exclaimed. Cole was hiding behind me.  
‘How do you know that?’  
‘I read a lot, Cole. You should try it sometimes.’  
‘This is not the time to be sassy, Rachel!’  
‘I’m sorry, happens every time when I get nervous or afraid!’  
‘What do we have to do?’  
I thought, holding a big stick right in front of me.  
“Think happy thoughts”  
‘Think about things that make you happy. It should neutralise their power!’  
‘Will it work?’  
‘Hell do I look like a monster hunter to you? Of course I don’t know! I’m improvising over here.’  
‘You’re sassing me again!’  
‘I’m sorry!’  
When the monsters figured out what we were doing, they were screaming in anger. Cole and I looked up surprised. Did it work?

‘Well, you did a hell of a job, girl. They’re neutralised’ a voice behind me said. When I looked back, I saw a woman with red hair walking towards us. She had a knife in her hands and aimed for the personifications of our dads.  
‘You probably wanna duck, this could get messy’ the strange lady said. Then, she shoved her dagger in their chests and they exploded in a wave of a weird blob. It covered everything and it was disgusting. When Cole and I stood up again, we immediately hugged, thankful to be alive. Then we turned to the lady.  
‘How can we thank you?’ we asked.  
‘Maybe a shower would be nice? The name’s Charlie Bradbury by the way.’  
‘That’s not too much to ask’ I laughed.  
Still shaking and dirty, we went inside. When we saw the rest of the crew, we got some warm hugs and a lot of towels over us.  
When I sat back next to Dean, who was angry and happy at the same time, I wondered what happened to us. Was it a hallucination or was it real? Cole asked me the same questions and fortunately, Charlie had answers. She told us things that only appeared in nightmares. Every legend about every foul or evil creature that I had ever heard, was true. We all went in shock. It took us a couple of moments to snap out of it.  
‘You were the victims of Phobos, god of fear. He’s messing things up for the moment. The creatures you saw, were Tulpa’s, monsters made out of his imagination. They “collect” fear and bring it to feed him. The thing about them, is that they take shape to your biggest fears and that way they can petrify you and kill you. Which brings me to a question. Rachel, how did you withstand them?’  
All heads turned to me and I suddenly felt uncomfortable.  
‘I thought happy thoughts, I guess. I thought about Dean…’  
Dean pulled me close and kissed me softly. Then I snuggled into his side.  
‘That’s my girl’ he showed off. Charlie pouted.  
‘Oh you’re taken. That’s a shame.’ We all laughed.

After Charlie had taken that shower, she left, saying that she had some business with Ares about Phobos.  
‘Oh I hate this. Ares is never a nice person to have a chat with, especially when it comes to one of his sons. I hope this time he will point his anger to Phobos instead of me’ she said. I was really surprised that I could ask this without even flinching.  
‘Wait, what happened last time?’  
‘He had a temper tantrum and pierced me with a sword. He immediately brought me back to life when he found out what he did, but it still felt really strange.’  
I took a step back. ‘Wowowowowow, so you’re saying you’ve been dead?’  
She nodded a little bit too happily for my taste.  
‘What was it like, dying?’ I asked silently.  
‘It brings peace, Rachel, especially in my job. It gives a certain kind of rest. All of your troubles fade away. Of course I was happy to come back, but I preferred to stay in heaven. It was beautiful up there, looking like the Land of Oz’ she admitted. I just gave her a hug. She promised to come back one time to see a concert. Afterwards the crew brought me and Cole back home. I was still thinking about my conversation with Charlie. I didn’t understand how I could stay so calm about what I’d seen a couple of hours earlier. Dean felt it too and didn’t leave me out of sight.  
‘Which form did your fear take?’ he asked.  
‘Dad’ I answer.  
He kept me close, whispering sweet nothings in my ear, comforting me in the best way he could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys, i'm back. i wrote a couple more chapters to this and shit is about to get real. thanks for sticking up with me!!!


End file.
